Belgium frustrate Dutch with rock-solid defence

It left the Dutch so frustrated, that striker Patrick Kluivert took it out on defender Lorenzo Staelens, threatening him with a wagging finger before planting his elbow in his chest. Referee Pierluigi Collina sent him off in the 81th minute.

“It was a stupid thing to do,” Kluivert said.

In their 120th meeting, the Dutch pounded the Belgian defence almost throughout the match, playing in a different gear and seemingly in a different class.

But the Red Devils stuck to age-old tactics, pulling back everyone, surviving on100 per cent perspiration and very little inspiration, and just watched that Stadium clock run down the time.

“I surely wanted more than this,” said Dutch winger Marc Overmars. “We had great moves but you have to be able to get it into the net.” With Dennis Bergkamp on the substitute’s bench until the 66th minute with a tender hamstring, the Dutch got plenty of attacks, but no lethal finishing.

When the Arsenal star got a clear shot on goal in the 73rd minute, he froze in the cold and volleyed over.

By the end, the continuous drone of Belgian tackling and stubborn resistance turned the Dutch into a bunch of frustrated players who had lost their inspiration along the way.

“This looks real somber to us,” said Overmars.

Belgian coach Georges Leekens maintains his team in the underdog role, just like he had down ahead of the Dutch game.

“Now, don’t think that we really are bigger than we are,” he said, stressing the second game against Mexico would be the vital match.

Mexico beat SouthKorea 3-1 in the first Group E game earlier yesterday.Belgium had beaten the Dutch 1-0 at World Cup four years ago. But lost two qualifying games against them ahead of the finals.